Footboard attachment for automobiles



R. E. ANGLEMYER. FOOTBOARUATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES,

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1921.-

1,431,084. Patented 0ct. 3,1l922 m ATTORNEY.

Patented @ct. 3, 1%22.

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I FOOTIBOARD ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed January 19, 1921.

T 0 aZZ to 710m it may concern Be it known that l, RAY ANoLmrrnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clarendon, in the county of Arlington and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Footboard Attachments for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to attachments for foot boards of automobiles, and has for an object to provide a device for action in con junction with the several pedals for permitting the implacement of the foot board over the pedals without separation of the foot board into sections. and to prevent to a considerable extent the passage of air, dust and the like through the slots ordinarily employed for accommodating the levers of such pedals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foot board having an opening therein of suilicient size and proper shape to pass over the group of pedals ordinarily tound extending above the foot board of an automobile, and an adjustable plate having longitudinal slots therein properly positioned to accommodate the pedals co-acting with the foot board and with flexible closures for the slots, permitting the pedal levers to act within the slots with practically no obstruction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pedal plate for the foot board of an automobile having flexible sheet material extending across the slots and so ar ranged that the levers may pass between the portions of such flexible material, the slots to be closed substantially at the rear of the levers as they move in either direction.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel arrangements, parts, elements and combinations as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved toot board in place in an auto-- mobile;

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the foot board removed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view longitudinally through one of the slots taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4. is a perspective view of the Serial no. 438,485.

removable slotted the foot board;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view showing the relation of the pedal levers with the flexible closures, and

Figures 6 and 7 are modifications of the form of slitting the flexible closure sheets.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the severa views. i

it is well known that the toot b ard of an automobile indicated at 10 provides 21 commodation for a plurality of pedals 1'! which extend upwardly through su-h foot board into position to be actuated by the operator. Under ordinary conditions the foot board is formed in sections so that each section may be put into position to complete the slots necessary for the oscilla tion of the levers 12 of such pedals. The forming of the foot board in section results in accidents in that one of the sections slips, or slides, over the other section, forming an opening through the body of the car, also forming an obstruction to the actuation of the levers. The present invention provides a foot board 10, formed as an entirety, and to preserve such integralit-y cleats 13 are secured to the under side of the foot board extending transversely thereacross. An opening 14 is formed in this foot board of sufficient dimensions to permit the foot board to be placed over the entire group of pedals indicated more particularly at Figure 1, leaving thereby an opening through thefoot board through which all of such pedals extend. It is,-ot course, for many reasons desirable and necessary that this opening be closed, for which purpose a closure is provided having cleats 15 on its under side, the lower ends of which are beveled as at 16 to co-act with a complementary bevel 17 formed in the edge of the opening. This prevents the lower edge of the closure from rising up and becoming displaced relative to the foot board. The closure is provided with a plurality of slots 18 corresponding in number to the number otlevers, here shown as three, but it is to be understood thatthe invention is in no way limited to such number, and that the number will correspond to the number of pedals employed. The slots 18 are of such length and width as to accommodate the levers 12 of the several pedals in their oscillation. To close the openings formed plate disassociated from may be slitted from each ment.

by such slots so far as possible, flexible sheets of material 19 are secured between the plates of the closure and the cleats, and extended laterally entirely or substantially entirely across the several slots. In its preferred form the sheet of material extending across the slots is slitted as at 20, forming flexible tongues 21 which offer but little or no resistance to the oscillation of the levers in the slots but close rapidly and quickly at the rear of the levers in whichever direction said levers may be moved, or moving. As shown at Figures 2 and 1, the slits forming the tongues 21 are substantially transverse to the slots. but it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited to suchformation or even to the slitting at all, as the sheets may extend from opposite sides to substantially the center of the slot and be provided with a longitudinal slit 22. as shown at Figure 6, or

side at an inclination, as indicated at 23 in Figure 7, the latter forming V-shaped tongues 2 1 in staggered relation, extending substantially entirely across the slots from opposite sides.

T he material of which the flexible sheet is composed forms no part of the present invention, although in accordance with the present practice, the sheet will undoubtedly be composed of rubber, or the like, form ing ideal flexibility as well as waterproofing and imperviousness to oils, or the like.

The closure as an entirety, it will be noted, is provided with slots opened at one end so that it may be slidably passed over the several levers 12 of the pedals into position, so that the beveled margin 16 may be engaged by the beveled. margin 17 and the entire closure pushed into position in the opening 14 formed in the foot board. In this position, the closure will remain, with a reasonable degree of permanence, until manually removed, which can be done readily by lifting the forward, or upper end, so that the cleats 15 clear the upper margin of the opening, when the beveled margins 16 and 17 may be separated and the entire closure removed from engagement with the levers 12, leaving the opening 14: unclosed, which in turn permits the removal of the foot board.

The permanency of the positioning of the plate does not refer to immovability or rigidity but'to the imp robability of displace- .ris will be noted, the plate is maintained .in position relative to the foot board by the beveled ends 16 of the cleats 15 and proportioned to slide and lock under the bearing of the plate upon the top. This, while preventing the movement of the plate in a direction longitudinally of the slots 18, does permit a slight movement transversely of the slots. This is important in view of the fact that the pedals occasionally become bent from use and unless a yielding surface is provided such pedals may bind, resulting in loss of control and resultant damage.

lVhat I claim to be new is:

1.. The combination with a vehicle having a group of levers and foot board with an opening proportioned to pass over the group and having an overhang at its lower edge, of a platehaving slots open at its upper side proportioned to slide upwardly about the levers, and means carried by the plate to slide and look under the overhang with the upper edge of the plate bearing upon the upper surface of the foot board.

2. The combination with a vehicle having a group of levers and foot board with an opening proportioned to pass over the group and having an overhang at its lower edge, of a plate having slots open at its upper side upwardly about the levers. means carried by the plate to slide and lock under the overhang, and elastic tillers extending normally across the slots and yielding to the movement of the pedals.

3. The combination with a vehicle having a group of levers and a foot board with an opening proportioned to pass over the group and having an overhang at its lower edge, of a plate having slots open at its upper side proportioned to slide upwardly about the levers, and means carried by the plate to slide and look under the overhang with the upper edge of the plate bearing upon the upper surface of the foot board, said plate being capable of a limited movement laterally relative to the foot board.

1-. The combination with a vehicle having a group of levers and foot board with an opening proportioned to pass over the group and having an overhang at its lower edge, of a plate having slots open at its upper side proportioned to slide upwardly about the levers, means carried by the plate to slide the overhang, and elastic fillers extending normally across the slots and yielding to the movement of'the pedals,

said plate being capable of alimited movement laterally relative to the foot board.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my. signature.

RAY E. ANGLEMYER. 

